Russell Grigg

Russell Grigg

Russell M. Grigg (1927–2024) was a scientist, creationist, editor, and missionary. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He attended Victoria University College in Wellington, New Zealand (now known as Victoria University of Wellington), where he studied Chemistry He worked as the chemist for a number of years, then as a manager of a paint factory.

Grigg then studied theology at the New Zealand Bible Training Institute (now called Laidlaw College). In 1959, after he finished studying, he went to Indonesia for twelve years with the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, where he was both in charge of OMF's publishing program and met and married Merle Cornelius of Adelaide, South Australia, who was also in Indonesia with OMF.

Leaving missionary work in 1971, he moved to Adelaide, where he worked at an Australian publishing company for ten years, finishing up as one of their senior editors. While there, he wrote two books: Australian Trains and Death in the Family: What to Do

In 1982 Grigg returned to OMF, serving as their State Director for South Australia. During this time he came across Creation Ex Nihilo (now Creation), and decided that he could help with it.

When Dr. Duane Gish came to Australia in 1988, Grigg and Peter Sparrow wanted to arrange a debate. However, nobody from any university was willing to take part, so Grigg changed his plan. His idea was that Dr. Gish would put the case for Creation in the first hour, and then the case against evolution in the second hour. In other words, Dr. Gish was 'debating' by himself. Members of the Christian body, Students for Christ, supported Grigg’s idea; they put up posters and gave pamphlets to people at the university. When Dr. Gish's lecture was held, a large audience comfortably filled the lecture theatre.

Grigg moved to Brisbane, Queensland, in 1990, where he joined Creation Ministries International (publisher of Creation), and has written many articles for Creation, as well as editing and reviewing other articles for the magazine and reviewing other creationist material.

He died on 10 Jan 2024 aged 96, and was working on creation-related issues until the day before.

Athletic Achievements

Despite his age, and despite having to wear a colostomy bag (a result of bowel cancer in 1975), Grigg is a healthy and active person. He has competed in the 11th Oceania Veterans Athletics Championships in Geelong, Victoria, the Asia Pacific Masters Games on the Gold Coast (Queensland), and the World Masters Games in Melbourne, all in 2002, winning three medals at the former seven at the second, including two gold and two silver medals, and two at the last. To date (early 2012), he has won 130 medals at various Masters Athletics championships in Australia.

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  Grigg with Medals

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  Asia Pacific Masters

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  World Masters

The Da Vinci Code

One of Grigg's articles is a review of The Da Vinci Code movie, which was based on the novel of the same name by Dan Brown. In it, he pointed out some of the factually-incorrect information presented in the book, as well as some of the reaction by others, including audience laughter at the claim that one of the main character, Sophie, is the descendant of Jesus and Virgin Mary.

At the end of the article, Grigg said “…Christians would do well to equip themselves with correct information to engage in dialogue with both readers and viewers.”

Publications

• Inscriptions on the Cross, 3 November 2000 (First published in Apologia 3(2):17–18, 1994)
• Evangelical colleges paid to teach evolution, 6 August 2002.
• Intelligent Design—‘A War on Science’ says the BBC, with Jonathan Sarfati.
• The Da Vinci Code movie.
• Ernst Haeckel: Evangelist for evolution and apostle of deceit, Creation 18(2):33–36, March 1996.
• What's in a name? The terms for God in Genesis 1 and 2: no contradiction!, Creation 23(4):39–41, September 2001.
• From the beginning of the creation, Creation 19(2):35–38, March 1997.
• Do I have to believe in a literal creation to be a Christian?, Creation 23(3):20–22, June 2001.
• Should Genesis be taken literally?, Creation 16(1):38–41, December 1993.
• Fraud rediscovered, Creation 20(2):49–51, March 1998.
• Did Moses really write Genesis?, Creation 20(4):43–46, September 1998.
• Naming the animals: all in a day’s work for Adam, Creation 18(4):46–49, September 1996.
• Golden numbers, with Carl Wieland, Creation 16(4):26–29, September 1994.
• A brief history of design, Creation 22(2):50–53, March 2000.
• Flood!, with Rebecca Conolly, Creation 23(1):26–30, December 2000.
• The Galileo 'twist', Creation 19(4):30–32, September 1997.
• Preaching the Gospel in today’s society, Creation 14(2):32–33, March 1992.
• How long were the days of Genesis 1?, Creation 19(1):23–25, December 1996.
• Could monkeys type the 23^rd Psalm?, Creation 13(1):30–34, December 1990.
• Darwin's slippery slide into unbelief, with John M. Brentnall, Creation 18(1):34–37, December 1995.
• Morning has broken … but when?, Creation 23(2):51–53, March 2001.
• Is Jesus Christ the Creator God?, Creation 13(3):43–45, June 1991.
• The gospel in time and space, Creation 21(2):50–53, March 1999.
• First Adam—last Adam, Creation 21(1):37–39, December 1998.
• Darwin’s mystery illness, Creation 17(4):28–30, September 1995.
• The fish with 'four eyes' (Anableps), Creation 18(1):52, December 1995.
• Who was the serpent?, Creation 13(4):36–38, September 1991.
• Did Darwin recant?, Creation 18(1):36–37, December 1995.
• Joshua's long day, Creation 19(3):35–37, June 1997.
• Unfolding the plan, Creation 20(3):22–24, June 1998.
• Dinosaurs and dragons: stamping on the legends, Creation 7(3):18–19, June 1985.